Phenotypic and molecular characterization of Staphylococcus aureus strains of veterinary, dairy and human origin.
Austrian veterinary (n=91), dairy (n=86), and human strains (n=48) of Staphylococcus aureus were tested for various phenotypic properties including clumping factor, egg-yolk reaction, production of thermonuclease and susceptibility to 14 antibiotics. In addition the expression of enterotoxins (A-E), and the presence of enterotoxin genes sea to sej and tst was determined. Significant differences in antimicrobial susceptibility were found with 84.6% of veterinary, 57.0% of dairy, and 20.8% of human strains susceptible to all antibiotics tested (P<0.0005). More human strains produced enterotoxins (41.7%) than veterinary (9.9%) and dairy strains (12.6%) while 40.7% and 38.5% of veterinary, 47.7% and 52.3% of dairy, and 77.1% and 87.5% of human strains were se- and tst-positive, respectively. AFLP analysis revealed nine clusters with over- or under-representation of strains with specific characteristics. Strains clustered according to origin (veterinary, dairy, and human) and/or presence of toxin genes and antimicrobial resistance.
Gonano
M
M
Institute of Milk Hygiene, Milk Technology and Food Science, Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.
Hein
I
I
Zangerl
P
P
Rammelmayr
A
A
Wagner
M
M
D054458:Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003030:Coagulase / Q000378:metabolism; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008049:Lipase / Q000378:metabolism; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008836:Micrococcal Nuclease / Q000378:metabolism; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003030:Coagulase; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004768:Enterotoxins; D008049:Lipase; D008836:Micrococcal Nuclease